Crane.



Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

171mm@ Mix/M. M

W. J. MUNCASTBR.

CRANE.

APPLIOATION FILED' JAN.11, 1910.

OOLQMBIA PLANOGRAIM Q0.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

W. J. MUNCASTER.

CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED 11111.11, 1910.

l 1,023,438. Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WALTER J. MUNGASTER, OIE CUMBERLAND, MARYLAND.

CRANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

Application led January 11, 1910. Serial No. 537,466.

To all whomz't may concern.'

Be it known that I, WALTER J. MUNoAs- TER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cumberland, in the county of Allegany and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cranes, of which the following is a specification.

Hy invention relates to cranes, and particularly to a special form of pillar crane, peculiarly designed for the loading of box cars.

Heretofore, although there has been a great need and demand for a device for conveniently loading box cars, the problem has never been successfully solved, and it has been customary to load such cars by.

hand, or by means of trucks entering the car from an elevated platform. This latter method, while reasonably satisfactory, does not give means for depositing the articles in their final positions, and cannot be used with success in the case of very heavy or bulky objects. It has been particularly diliicult to load pieces of any considerable length, as shafting or the like, into such cars, but by my invention even this is readily accomplished.

The principal feature of my invention is the use of a crane arm articulated at several appropriate points in its length. the various joints being so arranged, and the intervals between the joints being so proportioned, as to adapt the crane to the special service indicated. y

I am aware that heretofore cranes having articulated arms have been used, but in such cranes it has been customary to provide but a single joint, which precludes the attainment of the advantages incident to my invention, as will become apparent.

In addition to the provision of a plurality of joints in the arm, my invention further contemplates the use of certain proportions contributory to more successful operation, and various other improvements in form and construction, which will be explained in connection with the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a crane, showing the parts as they would appear assembled; Fig. 2 illustrates a modified form of pillar; Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of a portion of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view, designed to show the method of loading a box car by the use of the crane illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, 1 represents the post or pillar of the crane. This is set upright in a foundation constructed of concrete and steel, and consisting of a central pier 2 of concrete, through which pass in various directions steel beams 8, whose ends rest on the smaller concrete or stone piers 4. Thus the central pier need only be heavy enough to carry the vertical load, while the beams provide the necessary lateral stability. To secure a tight t of the pillar in the pier 2, and to 4facilitate removal thereof at any time, iron collars 5 and G are set into the concrete to receive the lower end of the pillar. By this arrangement it is possible to construct the foundation prior to the setting up of the pillar, and as a convenient means of forming the socket, and of retaining the collars in posit-ion during the setting of the concrete, I use a tubular shell 7 which connects the two collars as shown. By this use of separate collars and a connecting tube', the castings are lighter and simpler than would be the case were the collars connected by a shell. cast integral therewith, and the tubular shell may be made of light sheet metal. The crane arm is sw'iveled on the post 1 at- 8 and 9, and consists of three sections 10, 11 and 12, successively hinged together at 13 and 14, and 15 and 16, as shown. Suspended from the extremity of the outer section is a hoist 17, of any well known type, and of a capacity suited to the crane. The hinges between the various sections of the arm and the swivel joint with the pillar 1 all include roller bearings to take the lateral stress, and ball bearings to take the vertical thrust. In the case of the swivels 8 and 9, the rollers 18 run on cylindrical portions 19 and 20 of the pillar 1, and are encircled by the bearings 21and 22 formed inthe section 10 of the crane arm. The bearing 21, which in this case is the upper one, has a race 23 formed on its lower face, and balls 24 are inserted between this race and the corresponding race 25, formed in a collar 26 removably attached to the pillar. The collar 26 is made removable to permit the withdrawal of bearing 22 over the end of the pillar. 26, is formed on the pillar beneath bearing 22, to retain the rollers and exclude dust,

A flange 27, similar to collar t" etc. In addition dust caps 28 are provided over both bearings. The hinges between sections are essentially identical with the above, and similar parts are numbered alike in the drawings. Minor differences are the use of heavy rods or bolts 29, passing through `bosses 30 of their respective arm sections 10 and 11, as the bearings for the rollers 18; the placing of the ball thrust bearing beneath the lower bearings (as at 14 and 16) and the use of flanged collars 31 pinned to the rods 29 to serve a purpose similar to that of the flange 27 Obviously the location of the ball thrust bearing is a matter of design, as is the number of such bearings used, but a single` thrust bearing, located as shown, is usually sufficient.

The arm sections may be fabricated of structural shapes, as in the case of section 12, or may be cast of steel or iron, as in the case of sections 10 and 11. The particular form is not vital, but the construction indicated is believed to be desirable as contributing to rigidity. Any tendency of the arm sections to sag so as to bring the various hinges out of a vertical direction would cause difficulty in handling of the crane, due to a tendency to swing to a particular position. When the sect-ions are fabricated from structural shapes, castings 32 and 33 are riveted thereto to form the hinge bearings.

In constructing a crane of this type, it is w-ell to make the sections 10 and 11 of' about equal radial length, and the section 12 of about the comb-ined length of 10 and 11; though I give theseydimensions as suggestive, and do not absolutely limit myself thereto. The advantage of such proportions may be seen from an inspection of Fig. 4; which is a diagram of a track T and a car C having a doorway D, and shows the method of inserting a long object O by means of my crane. The sections of the crane arm are indicated by the numerals 10, 11 and 12, which correspond with the numerals already applied to these part-s, the subscripts a, b, o and Z indicating successive positions of the crane. It will be noted that the pillar 1 is so set that the first arm section 10 swings entirely clear, and the section 11 may reach into the car. Then, by folding 11 upon 10, sufiicient clearance may be had to allow secf tion 12 to be swung toward either end of the car, or be entirelywithdrawn. Eventhough section 12 be longer than either of the others (and it might leven be more than twice as long), and though section 12 be longer than the inside width of the ear, it is possible to swing the end of arm 12 to almost any point in the car. Usually, of course, it is desirable to make it as long as convenient handling permits.

My invention broadly contemplates the use of three or 'more sections, with any suitable proportion of sections, and I do not limit myself to the proportions and construction set forth above except as specifically stated in the claims.

In cases where it is not necessary that the crane arm shall swing entirely around the post, and in cases where the crane is to be attached to a wall or the like, the alternative construction illustrated in Fig. A2 may be used. The modification consists in the forming of arm section 10 with a post 34C, which turns in cast brackets 35 Vand 36 attached to the post or wall 37. Rollers 18 and balls 24 are used in these joints, the construction being closely similar to that already set forth.

The particular form of foundationdescribed is shown primarily to illustrate a satisfactory means of supporting such a cran-e, and not as being the only one suitable to such service. It is believed, however, thatbecause of the great lateral stability of' such construction, and the economy in the use of material, it will be found particularly desirable for a crane of this type.

It is obvious that cranes yof this type are `adapted for loading any vehicle, whether constructed to move upon rails, as in the case of railway cars, or not. For instance, it might successfully-be used to load canal boats, or other boats, theprinciple of operation being the same as that described in connection with cars. In the claims, therefore, the term-s vehicle and runway for a vehicle will be used in their broad sense.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a crane, the combination of a support; an arm section pivoted on said support; a second arm section pivoted to the first arm section and approximately equal in length therewith; a third arm section pivoted'to the second arm section and approximately equal in length to the first and second sections combined; and hoisting mechanism carried by the third section; the axes of all of the above named pivots being vertical.

2. In a crane, the combination of a support; an arm section pivoted on said support; a second arm section pivoted to the first arm section and approximately equal in length therewith; a third arm section pivoted to the second arm section and greater in length than either of the others; and hoisting mechanism carried by the third section; the axes of all of the labove named pivots being vertical.

3. In a crane, the combination of a support; an arm section pivoted on said support; a second arm section pivoted tothe first arm section; a third arm section pivoted to the second arm section and greater in length than the second section; andhoisting mechanism carriedfloy the third section; the

axes of all of t-he above named pivots being vertical.

t. In a crane, the combination of a support; an arm section pivoted on said support; a second arm section pivoted to the irst arm section; a third arm section pivoted to the second arm section and greater in length than the rst section; and hoisting mechanism carried by the third section; the axes of all of the above named pivots being vertical.

5. In a crane, the combination of a support; an arm section pivoted on said support; a second arm section pivoted to the first arm section; a third arm section pivoted to the second arm section and approximately equal in length to the iirst and second sections combined; and hoisting mechanism carried bythe third section; the axes of all of the above named pivots being vertical.

6. In a crane, the combination of a support; a plurality of arm sections approximately equal in length and successively pivoted to the support and to each other; a terminal sect-ion pivoted thereto approximately equal to the aggregate length of the other sections; and hoisting mechanism carried by the terminal section.

7. In a crane, the combination of a support; a plurality of arm sections successively pivoted to the support andto each other; a terminal section pivoted thereto greater in length than any of t-he other sections; and hoisting mechanism carried by the terminal section,

8. In combination with a runway for a vehicle, a support adjacent said runway; an arm section hinged on the support to turn clear of a vehicle on the runway; a plurality of arm sections successively pivoted to the irst arm section and to each other; and hoisting mechanism carried by the outermost section.

9. In combination with a runway for a vehicle, a support adjacent said runway; an arm section hinged on the support to turn clear of a vehicle on the runway; a plurality of arm sections successively pivoted to the iirst arm section and to each other, the outermost section being the longest; and hoisting mechanism carried by the outermost section.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER J.v MUNCASTER.

Witnesses:

A. F. GETTY, L. W. NANE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

